Hanoi - A 23-year-old man has died of avian influenza, bringing Vietnam's bird-flu death toll to five this year, health officials said Tuesday, also confirming two more deaths from swine flu. The Ministry of Health reported the man, from the north-western town of Dien Bien Phu, was admitted to hospital with high fever and respiratory illness on November 26, and died two days later. Samples from his body tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus.
Health authorities said that the patient had eaten duck's blood curd a week before developing symptoms. An outbreak of H5N1 among birds in Dien Bien province was first reported on November 21.
Vietnam has reported five human bird-flu cases this year, all resulting in fatalities. Dr Nguyen Huy Nga, head of the national Preventive Health Department, blamed the high fatality rate on the failure of patients to report to hospitals early.
The Ministry of Health also confirmed two more deaths from the H1N1 swine-flu virus on Monday.
A 20-year-old pregnant woman from Khanh Hoa province in southern Vietnam died November 24, and 59-year-old man from northern Quang Ninh province died two days later.
Forty-four people have died of swine flu in Vietnam, out of 10,891 reported infections.
The World Health Organisation reported 262 human deaths from bird flu deaths worldwide since 2003. Fifty-seven people have died of bird flu in Vietnam, the second-highest toll after Indonesia's 115.
Bird flu is most common in Vietnam's north, where temperatures are cool during winter, allowing a more hospitable environment for the virus. The southern region remains warm year-round.
Global health authorities are closely monitoring both bird flu and swine flu due to fears they could mutate and cause a severe worldwide pandemic.
